Is PureVPN Safe to Use

PureVPN has been around since 2006. It now boasts over 3 millions of satisfied users across the globe. The reason for such popularity is a simple yet highly versatile service. “What about user security?” one may ask. The provider guarantees excellent protection on its site but can it really make good on this promise? Let’s take a closer look at its security features to answer the ultimate question: “Is PureVPN safe to use?”

Before jumping into it, here is a brief overview of PureVPN’s security features. Let’s start with positive points:

A vide range of encryption protocols, including OpenVPN;

Kill Switch;

Can pair it with Tor;

NAT firewall and DDoS protection.

Unfortunately, I discovered some consas well:

Registered in Hong Kong;

Some connection logs;

Leaks protection leaves much to be desired.

PureVPN’s Logging Policy and Legislation

Although PureVPN is owned by a company called Gaditek (Pakistan), the service itself is registered in Hong Kong. Despite the proximity and close connections with China, the country remains free of government snooping and it doesn’t work with any intelligence groups. From the standpoint of security, Hong Kong is a good place to base a business. Nevertheless, local authorities have the right to coerce the provider to surrender some data on its clients if they are suspected of illegal activity. Plus, Pakistani government may exert pressure on the parent company as well.

In order to avoid such delicate situations and not to compromise subscribers, trustworthy VPNs refuse from storing user logs. PureVPN claims it keeps no logs either but it is cunning. A closer examination of their privacy policy reveals that PureVPN opts for certain connection logs, which include a day of connection, information about users IPs, the amount of transmitted data, as well as some timestamps. Despite the assurance of the service that this information does not declassify the users’ identities, the recent high-profile case proves the opposite. PureVPN helped the FBI snatch a cyber stalker by providing information on his connections. This fact alone proves that PureVPN is not exactly safe.

PureVPN Security Features

The service supplies a respectful number of security protocols including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, and PPTP with encryption ranging from 128 to 256 bits. OpenVPN is the most reliable option with a great balance of speed and protection. IKEv2, which works on iOS and Mac devices, runs it close.

PureVPN has an emergency disconnection feature, a Kill Switch, but my tests show that it doesn’t work properly all the time. The same can be said about the IP and DNS leak protection. Occasional IP and DNS leakage happens more often than you would want to.

As an additional protection against VPN disconnections and leaks, you can pair PureVPN with Tor. Thanks to this function, your connection will remain anonymous even if a VPN tunnel fails, and when everything works as it should, your IP will be double-masked. However, the connection speed is slower when using this feature.

The service also supplies protection against DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks and NAT firewall.

If you want to know more about the PureVPN’s features, this review collected all the relevant information you need to know.

The Best Secure Alternatives to PureVPN

PureVPN is a good option only if logging does not bother you and you are ready to put up with a weak leakage protection. In all other cases, it is wise to look for another provider. My recommendation is NordVPN. This top-notch service doesn’t do things by halves when it comes to user security. It exercises a clear and straightforward zero-logging policy across the board. Its state-of-the-art security features work flawlessly to protect your web activities. NordVPN is an excellent choice when online safety matters.

Conclusion

PureVPN provides a solid protection when it comes to encryption and various security measures. Unfortunately, some of the features just don’t work properly so there is a room for improvement. PureVPN keeps some sensitive logs and it doesn’t hesitate to turn its clients in to law enforcement agencies if they are investigated on. However, if you use the service responsibly you shouldn’t face any troubles.